Peace Postcards

I had the good fortune to stumble into a fantastic used bookshop in my new neighborhood this evening after dinner. Bluestocking Books has a fanTAStic selection, including Howard Zinn's People's History of the United States featured prominently in the window for the 4th of July (it might be the next book I walk out with - tonight I walked out with Ram Dass' Be Here Now). I think I will be saying goodbye to Amazon.com for the foreseeable future!

But Bluestocking Books doesn't just have books - they have an amazing postcard selection, including a number of peace postcards! Here are a few of my favorites:

 And this one is particularly apt for the upcoming 4th of July holiday:

I'm planning to send my first one, Peace On Earth, to Russia via postcrossing, but the rest are up for grabs - if you'd like a postcard let me know! :-)

Peace On Us

I got this great peace stationery from my friend Rachel who sent it from Australia. The perfect stationery for sending some peace and love around the world!

Postcards from the Border

Hey, I'm back!

It's been a while since I've posted on here - been slacking a bit on my letters, plus we moved, which took up a lot of time and energy.

Let me know if you want our new address!

I also traveled to Tijuana this month, and will go back again next week for some peace education workshops with 80 teachers, in conjunction with Teachers Without Borders, the Organization of American States, and the Baja California Department of Education.

To commemorate the trip, I took the opportunity to use Moo.com's great postcard function. I used one of my favorite photos of the border graffiti. Let me know if you want one! :-)

Sealing Wax and Other Fancy Stuff

World Market sent me a $10 happy birthday coupon to use in its store, and I got a sealing wax kit!

The wax is like a little crayon, and then it comes with a stamp with three different faces - hearts (pictured), stars, and a fleur de lis. It adds a whole new dimension to my letter writing experience!

And it definitely requires mindfulness and concentration. There is actually some technique involved in sealing an envelope with wax. You need to get the wax in the right spot, you need the right amount of wax. Then you need to stir the wax to get the bubbles out (you stir with the crayon stick), and finally you have to wait until just the right time to press the seal.

I've tried it twice so far and both turned out OK. The first one I erred on the side of waiting too long, and the impression wasn't very deep. Just now I tried it but didn't check to see the direction of the hearts before I pressed - doh!

But it still looks nice :-)

(there is no "other fancy stuff" as the title implies...I just wanted to quote Puff the Magic Dragon :)

I've been slacking on this blog, and it's been a whole month since my last post. And to be honest, I did not keep up with my letter-a-day goal this month. This month has been a little tricky. I'm struggling with un(der)employment right now, and some days are harder than others. On the harder days, I find it hard to write a letter. Writing a letter takes a certain amount of energy - any quality communication does - and when I write a letter I want to be sending love, not negativity. Thus on days when I've been feeling less-than-inspired, I haven't been writing, and I think this is OK.

At the same time, I realize that focusing to write a letter could be just what I need to pull me out of the negativity, so this month I think I'll try that. It might be helpful, and I'll let you know how it goes!

Also, we are probably moving at the end of the month. Our lease ends in April, so we are looking for new abodes. Check in with me later for our new address!

Make Tea, Not War

I found this postcard in my local stationery shop. I love it :-) I'm sending the first one through the Postcrossing project, but I have a feeling I'm going to have to go back to get more to send to everyone I know!

This also connects beautifully to my newest project, PeaceMeal - Cultivating Peace Through Food. Please check it out!

A Certified Mail Treat

Today I woke up feeling a little uninspired. We've had the good fortune of a rainy day here in sunny San Diego, but the cloudy skies and cool air have me feeling less-than-productive.

Yesterday, I wasn't home when the mail arrived, and when I got back there was a note on the door that I had some certified, insured mail that needed to be picked up at the post office. I wasn't sure what it might be, and whether it was something to be excited about or not, so I didn't think much of it.

This morning, I went to pick it up - and was delighted by what was inside!

It was copies of the book "People Building Peace 2.0," in which my story, "Peace Education Without Borders," was published. I entered the story in the Peace Portal Stories for Peace Challenge last year, and it was selected as one of 25 winners. As a winner, you get your story published in the book, and you also get 10 free copies of the book! What a nice treat.

I love blogging, but there is something really exciting about seeing your words in such a tangible form. I think I am going to have to pursue more opportunities like this.

And that gave me my much-needed inspiration for today!

Valentine's Day

My husband and I are of the mentality that "every day is Valentine's Day". We're not a fan of the commercialism, and we like to do nice little things for each other randomly and express love for each other on a regular basis. However, he still took the opportunity to still buy me a beautiful bouquet of tulips for our new tulip holder from the Netherlands (thanks Alistair! thanks Lieke! :)

And maybe thinking it's just another day has its limits. In regards to this "it's just another day" mentality, a friend commented on Facebook today, "Of all the posts in my news feed today, at least 90% are about how it's just another day. It seems like the Anti-Valentine people are the bandwagon jumpers to me. Who cares if someone decides to show extra affection to someone else today? I can think of worse things people do." (Thanks Jason! :)  Right on! So, Valentine Haters, jump on board, and take some advice from MC Yogi: give love!

I am usually not a fan of "greeting card holidays", (similarly, for me, "everyday is a letter writing day!" :) but my mom bought me some fantastic Valentine's Day stationery this year from Papyrus (what you can't see in the photo is the deliciously soft velveteen texture of the card) so I went with it, and have been sending these out over the past few weeks. I'd also like to share the insert in the Papyrus cards, explaining the chosen symbol of the hummingbird:


"Legends say that hummingbirds float free of time, carrying our hopes for love, joy and celebration. Hummingbirds open our eyes to the wonder of the world and inspire us to open our heats to loved ones and friends. Like a hummingbird, we aspire to hover and savor each moment as it passes, embrace all that life has to offer and to celebrate the joy of everyday. The hummingbird's delicate grace reminds us that life is rich, beauty is everywhere, every personal connection has meaning and that laughter is life's sweetest creation."


Beautifully connected to both My Year of Letters and Valentine's Day!

Photo credit: James Knox Photography - my amazingly talented cousin, who took this photo at La Costa Resort when we had our wedding celebration there in November. Thanks James! :)

Finally, I just want to share my favorite quote about love, from the great sage and poet Rumi:

“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” 

This resonates with my belief that we are love, we are peace at our deepest, truest essence, and our task, as Rumi says is not to look for love outside of ourselves, but rather to look inside and figure out how we are blocking the love within us from shining through.

And on that note, break down the barriers and get down to MC Yogi! :-)